As widespread use of mobile computing devices rapidly increases, merchants across virtually all industries continue to attempt to reach current and potential customers through various means via the mobile computing devices. One popular method includes location-based services (“LBS”). In general, LBS may be realized in software applications (“apps”) that are installed on a mobile computing device and that recognize the user's particular location. The app can present particular advertisements, information, and/or offers based on proximity of the user to the merchant in order to drive and/or facilitate online to offline commerce transactions. As used herein, “online to offline commerce” may refer to communications and/or advertising over the Internet or other networks that lead consumers toward purchases at brick and mortar merchant locations.
Many mobile computing devices include location modules that employ GPS, cellular telephone signals, and other signals to locate the device and inform the app regarding the user's current location. Types of mobile computing devices may include, but are not limited to: smartphones, tablets, e-readers, wearable computing devices such as smart glasses and smartwatches, tablet computing devices, automobile-based or portable navigation devices, and other types of portable electronic computing devices. Types of non-mobile computing devices may include laptops and desktops.
In typical LBS applications, when a consumer initiates an online local search for products or services on a mobile or non-mobile computing device, the result is typically a static listing of local merchants relevant to the search terms (for example, “restaurant,” “plumber,” etc.) that have close physical proximity to the user's current location. In some cases, static advertisements are filtered and pushed to the consumer based on algorithms using previous behaviors or stored “opt in” information pertaining to the consumer. Some systems provide a map to the user to show the locations of merchants close to the user's current location.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present disclosure.